


Between Red and Purple

by PailetteHazel



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 09:58:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14162313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PailetteHazel/pseuds/PailetteHazel
Summary: Christine, a young woman who lives in the city, gets a visit from an old friend who invites her to a camp reunion. Yet, at Camp Campbell the ex-campers will have to face how much they’ve really changed in fifteen years.





	1. Invitation

“Of course! Wait, let me get in first!”

Even though the flat was high above the busy street, traffic and honking could still be heard faintly, echoing through the appartment. The purple-headed young woman didn’t seem to mind as she entered, or perhaps she was just used to it. 

But the young man following her was someone who wasn’t used to the noise of the busy city. The lanky man with striking red hair fitgeted with his hands, as the woman hurried from one side of her appartment to another.

“Why don’t you sit down David?” She said to him, with an upbeat tone in her voice. She pronounced the words with a slight accent, which sounded vaguely European. “I’ll get you some coffee.” David grinned slightly. “Do you have tea as well? I don’t mind coffee that much, but it’s getting later and..” Her chuckle, coming from the small kitchen that was connected to the living room, interrupted his speech. “Oh , you’re certainly gonna stay a while right? You’ll need something strong to keep you awake.” 

A few moments later, the woman returned with two mugs, filled with the dark liquid. She sat down on her couch, next to David who had tried making himself comfortable in one of her modern chairs. 

“It certainly has been a long time.” David blew into his drink softly, to cool it. “This year, fifteen years ago, to be exact. And i tought it would be fun, to.. you know, get everyone together, some kind of camp reunion. The woman nodded. “Certainly! I can still remember it vividly, i have to say. My experience at Camp Campbell was good, but i guess yours was even better.. You wanted to stay. “She nodded in David’s direction. He chuckled and tugged slightly on his yellow bandana, which he was wearing atop of his green counslor shirt. 

“I’m in, if only for the friends i made.” The purple-haired woman continued. “Nature never was, and probably never will my my thing. You know my heart is here, in the city!” She made a wild waving gesture. Both of them chuckled. “And i bet you’ve been contacting the other campers?”

David nodded, and put his mug down. “Yes, I managed to track them all down. Well.. all exept one..” A silence filled the apartment, as the two thought about the same person. The same boy, who never had had a chance to grow up. 

“I understand.”


	2. Return

“Hello everyone! Welcome back to Camp Campbell! Or should i say.. Welcome back!”

Between the rustling trees, David was his cheery self again. He greeted the people that emerged from the bus, that normally transported tenyearolds to the camps of Lake Lilac. Among them, the purple-haired young woman from the city. As usual, she had her hair in a long braid.

She smiled, although her hand clasped her bag nervously. It had been about two weeks since David had visited her in her appartment.. and she was as uneasy here as he had been in the city. Speaking of David, the redhead was enthousiastically greeting the other ex-campers. Some looked more exited than others to be here, but the redhead’s big grin was contagious. Chatting, the group of young adults started to make their way over to the Mess Hall.

“Christine!” David had noticed her in the group and hurried towards her. “I’m so glad you could come.” Christine put a free earlock behind her ear and conjured up a smile. “Of course. It’ll be fun to spend a night here, once again. And what did you have planned for this evening, you said?”

“A hike!” David’s eyes seemed to glimmer in anticipation. “The best way to enjoy nature. The surroundings are just as beautiful as fifteen years ago!” “Pff.. sounds exhausting. I’m glad it’s only one day and one night.” Christine chuckled teasingly. David laughed before he slipt away again, chatting to the other campers of the group.

The hike was quite long and relaxed, and, as David had promised, the nature was wonderful. The grown campers seemed to enjoy it more than then they were kids, anyway. During the walk, Christine had talked with several old friends, revisiting memories of the trail they’d walked many times before. It was getting dark when the group of ex-campers finally reentered the Mess Hall.

“Pff..” Christine sat down in one of the chairs surrounding the fireplace. David had brought some wood and was busy igniting the small logs. The rest of the group sat down as well, fatigued by the long walk. “I could use a drink right now..” Christine muttered as she pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned backwards. Her statement was met with chuckes of agreement from the other young adults. 

Their glaces turned to David, who raised himself after finally managing to lit the fire. “Oh? Oh, no guys. This is a summer camp, Remember? No alcohol here. I could get you guys coffee, if you want.” 

Christine groaned softly. “Seriously? You’d think that you would need something stronger after a day of managing kids.” She glanced up to him, but he shaked his head. 

One of the other campers spoke up. A young woman, Emily, if Christine remembered correctly. “Well that sucks you don’t have any. Luckliy i brought some flasks myself, wanna have one Christine?”

A grin appeared on the face of the purple-haired woman. “Of course.” But David turned to Emily, a strict look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, i can’t allow that. No drinking on camp grounds.” “Come on, David” Emily reacted. “Let’s loosen up and have a fun night.” “Yeah!” Christine chimed in, with an annoyed sigh. “I know you’re in counslor modus, but you can relax with us! We’re staying here for the night after all..”

David kept refusing. “No guys. Listen, i’m truely sorry, but it’s just against the camp rules to consume stuff like that!” Emily agreed, softly muttering. The others seemed to accept David’s rule. Well.. exept the tired Christine, who was getting more irritated. 

“Goodness! Can’t you be leniant for one night? We just want to relax, to have fun! You’re such a frickin’ party pooper with your camp rules!”

She stood up, pointing at the woodsman. 

“I know you like to live in a perfect fairytale in those middle-of-nowhere woods, but not everyone is like that! You can keep up that wholesome facade for the kids, but we’re no kids anymore, David!” 

She snapped angerly at the redhead, and turned around to walk towards the door of the cabin. She didn’t see the stunned expression on David’s face. 

“God, when will you finally grow up?”


	3. Confession

“What th-“

Christine opened her eyes. For a moment she panicked, because she couldn’t see the familiar red light of her alarm clock. But when she waved her arm and felt the fabric of the tent next to her, she realised where she was. Camp Campbell. The reunion.

She didn’t know how late it was. Still night. Normally she slept well, but maybe some sounds from the surrounding forest woke her? She heard the soft breathing of Emily, across the tent. She must have come in later: the ex-campers shared tents with the same people they did fifteen years ago. 

Christine sat upright and hugged her knees, listening to the unknown noises and Emily’s soft mumbling. The two had always been great pals during summer, but after camp they’d.. lost contact. The purple-haired woman wondered how much things had changed.

Then, she heard it again. A soft gasp, from somewhere outside. Christine listened closely, and even though she wasn’t an expert on forest sounds, she was pretty sure this was no animal. She reached for her flashlight in her bag, and folded her blanket back. She wouldn’t be able to go to sleep anyway.

Quietly, not to disturb Emily, she sneaked out of the tent. The moon was partly hidden by the trees surrounding the campsite, but Christine could still make out the familliar shapes of the tents. She listened again. The sounds came from across the field, from the boy’s tents. Christine approached it and suddenly realised the tent opposite of theirs had been David’s.. 

The young woman made her way over to the tent, and “knocked”. The tent fabric moved back and forth with a swift movement, the sobbing stopped. Without waiting for a reaction, Christine pushed it aside, to see David.

The counslor was hunched forwards on his bunk bed, and he looked up to her with a startled expression. “C-christine! You’re awake?” She nodded, and wanted to make a sarcastic comment about certain forest noises that woke her up...But she bit her tongue when she saw David’s face, red and damp from the tears. “Yeah.. are.. are you okay?”

The redhead went with his hand past his face, still shaking lighty. “I’m fine, really.. you should go back to sleep.” Christine frowned, and decided to sit next to him. The bed cracked slightly under the weight of two adults. “Listen.. David. I’m sorry for the argument... I acted like a brat.”

David shaked his head. “It’s.. okay. You guys are old enough to be responsible.” Christine moved her feet slighty. Both listened to the call of what sounded like an owl. “No, I should have listenend to you, youre the one in charge of this whole thing after all. And.. i know how much this Camp means to you.”

David stared blankly in front of him. Christine followed his gaze, to the empty and unused camping bed on the other side of the tent. Its presence seemed looming. Jasper. She swallowed softly.

“I’m sure you remember how i was as a kid. Rebellious, hating camp, hating nature.”   
Christine nodded. Now he brought it up, she realised that it was a big contrast with his current personality. “You swore more than all of the others combined.” She reacted. Expecting at least a chuckle, she looked at David again. Nothing.

“But.. on the Order of the Sparrow trip.. i finally found how much i liked nature. How much i could do. And Jasper..” He paused for a moment. “He was best camper. I began to see him as.. example. Is that weird? And when.. when..” his voice stuttered, filled with the emotion he was holding back. “I.. promised myself to carry on. As.. some kind of legacy.”

Christine remained silent. She nodded her head softly. David glanced at the bed again, new tears forming in his eyes. “I’m sorry, this reunion just.. reminds me so much of how it was, back then. And how much everything has changed.”

“I know..” Christine spoke again, softly. “Everything changes, dispite that we want to keep it the same. But you’re no longer Davey..“ She smiled faintly. “And i’m no longer Chrissy.” 

She put her arm around David, and felt him tensing up slighty. “But that’s okay, change. We just will have to adapt to it... even if it’s hard.” She put her head against his shoulder, felt his breathing was slowly getting back to a steady pace. He sighed.


End file.
